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Category Archives: philanthropy

According to the Shanghaiist, Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat is extremely wealthy but lives very frugally and plans to give his money to charity. Whether or not this story is all true or a bit of hyperbole, you’ll have to research and see if you can find out more details. But the message of the story is unusual and hopeful in this era of extreme income and wealth inequality.

Here he is using public transportation:

He is quoted as saying, “I feel that the money does not really belong to me. I am just in charge of keeping it temporarily!”

The New York Public Library lets you check out more than just books. You can also borrow neckties, briefcases and bags to help you dress appropriately for job interviews. The program is to help students and other people who may not be able to afford such things.

Do you think this service would be popular in Japan? Would you use it? What kinds of other things do you think students in Japan would like to borrow? Would you donate?

The name of this program is called “Grow Up”. One commenter suggested this wasn’t a great name. Can you think of a better name?

Another commenter says that neckties should no longer be part of a job interview “uniform”. What do you think about that? What is the “uniform” for job interviews in Japan? Do you think the customary wardrobe (and undyed hair) should change?

“foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, other animals, and the environment.” (from the About page)

Dollar Street imagines families from countries all over the world as living on one street. The poorer families on the left and the richer families on the right. Click on any of the families and you can visit them virtually — see what their homes are like and how they live.

Right now there are more than 260 homes in 50 countries, 30,000 photos in all.

No families from Japan yet. You can volunteer for this project — by taking photos, translatating texts, and other ways. If you click on the “Donate” you’ll see a place to volunteer, starting by filling out a survey (here’s the first question):